Eduard theisen



(No Modem E THBISEN SURFACE GONDENSING, REPRIGERATING, AND EVAPORATING APPARATUS. No. 496,757. Patented May 2, .1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDUARD THEISEN, OF SINZIG, GERMANY.

SURFACE CONDENSING, REFRIGERATING, AND EVAPORATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,757, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed January 11, 1893. Serial No. 458,030. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDUARD THEISEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sinzigon-the-Rhine, in the German Empire, have invented a certain new and useful lmprove ment in Surface Condensing, Refrigerating, and Evaporating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to surface condensing, refrigerating and evaporating apparatus in which the fluid to be condensed or refrigerated is made to flow in contact with either the inner or the outer surfaces of tubes, the outer or inner surfaces of which are maintained in a wet condition by the flow of thin films of liquid in contact therewith, While subject to currents of air for evaporating the said liquid.

My present invention has for its objects, first, to insure that the entire outer or inner surfaces of the said tubes shall be maintained more or less uniformly wet, and secondly to provide means whereby the said surfaces of the tubes can be readily cleared from time to time of solid deposit that may result from the water evaporated from the said surfaces of the tubes. For these purposes I provide such outer or inner surfaces of the tubes with a covering consisting of helically coiled wire, fitting closely against the surface of the tube, so that the water, supplied to the upper end of the tube will flow downward round and roundthe same in the channels formed between the convolutions of the wire, so as to maintain every portion of the tube in a wet condition.

The pitch of the screw thread formed by the wire coil should be such that the water will readily flow helically downward in the channels between the wire, in preference to flowing vertically downward over the wires, while at the same time the successive convolutions should be arranged sufficiently close together to form channels of comparatively small width, so that the film of water in the same will be held by capillary attraction against the wire on either side, and will thus adhere sufficiently to prevent it from being blown off the tube by the more or less strong current of air directed against the same. To insure these conditions, I prefer to coil two or more separate wires side by side round the tube, in a similar manner to a two or more threaded screw.

On the accompanying drawings Figure 1 showsa part elevation of a tube of a surface condensing, refrigerating or evaporating apparatus, on the outer surfaces of which three wires are coiled according to my invention. Fig. 2 shows a plan of the upper end. Fig. 3 shows a vertical section, Fig. 4 a cross section, and Fig. 5 shows a tube having the said wire coils applied to itsinner surface, for condensers, &c., in which the fluid to be refrigerated o'r condensed is made to flow in contact with the outer surfaces of the tubes. Fig. 6 is a detail view of an end of the tube or flue.

The three wires 1, 2, 3, which may be of a circular, rectangular or other cross section, have their upper and lower ends united together in any suitable manner as shown, and are joined to hooks 4, 4, by means of which, after the wires have been coiled tightly round the tube 5 are hooked onto studs 6, 6, secured in the tube plates 7.

For insuring a tight fit of the wire coils against the tubes, one or both ends may be formed as a screwed rod 8, as at Fig. 6, instead of as a hook, so that on passing such rod through an eye or fork' 9 the wire coils can be tightened up by a nut 10. When the wire coils are applied to the interior of the tubes as at Fig. 5, they may be first coiled upon a rod to a diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the tube, so as to be readily introduced therein, and be then allowed to expand against the tube by their elasticity.

Should the surface of the tube become coated in course of time with deposit resulting from the evaporation of the water, the ends of the wire coils are detached from their fastenings, and the coils are then pushed up and down on the tube so as to exerciseascraping action thereon sufficient to remove the deposit. Although the said wire coils are applicable with more particular advantage to vertical tubes, yet they are also applicable with more or less advantage to inclined or horizontal tubes, as the capillary attraction exercised by the wires upon the water will in such cases also insure a more uniform distribution of the water over the surface of the tubes, and prevent it from flowing off rapidly.

I-Iavingthus described the naturefor this inthe surface of such tubes to which the liquid which is to efiect the condensing or refrigerating operation, or which is to be evaporated, is applied, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDUARD THEISEN.

Witnesses:

CONSTANTIN NAPPEL, THos. ZEGLER. 

